Advance Group::WHAT'S NEW

March 21, 2006 – Advance Group to provide housing services for British Columbia 2009 World Police and Fire Games
The organizing committee for the 13th biennial World Police and Fire Games (WPFG), to be held in British Columbia from July 31 to August 9, 2009, announced today that they have contracted Advance Group Conference Management Inc. to provide online accommodation services.

"In keeping with our vision of creating a legacy of ‘Excellence, Inspiration and Friendship’, we are delighted to be partnering with one of the most experienced housing service providers in Canada" stated Bob Stewart, Co-Chair, World Police and Fire Games.

The WPFG is a spectacular international sporting event, offering police officers, firefighters, customs and corrections officers from 70 countries the opportunity to showcase their athletic excellence in 67 sporting events at 46 venues throughout British Columbia’s Lower Mainland. The 10 day event is expected to attract 14,000 athletes, 6,000 volunteers, 25,000 coaches, officials, family members and spectators, and is expected to generate CDN $50-100 million of economic impact in the region.

"We are very pleased to have been selected as the official housing service provider for the British Columbia 2009 World Police and Fire Games", said Carol MacKenzie, Director, Sales at Advance Group. "We are already in the process of negotiating special rates for accommodations at a wide range of properties throughout the Lower Mainland, which will make it very easy for participants and tour operators to find the suitable accommodation at affordable rates".

Since 1997, Advance Group has been the official housing service provider for Tourism Vancouver (the Greater Vancouver Convention and Visitors Bureau) on behalf of the Greater Vancouver hotel community. The company currently provides housing services for events that range in size from just one or two hotels, to large international congresses and sporting events utilizing over 50 properties. Advance Group recently managed the housing for the 2005 World Masters Games and 2001 IAAF World Championships in Athletics, both held in Edmonton.

In forging a relationship with Advance Group, the WPFG will gain an experienced team of dedicated multi-lingual professionals who will assist participants and tour operators with all of their accommodation needs utilizing Passkey, the leading online group reservations management technology. This state-of-the-art system automates the group housing process, giving participants secure 24/7 real-time access to online reservation services and instant confirmations. The 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, the World Figure Skating Championships and Super Bowl Games were all managed with Passkey technology.

"Our partnership with Advance Group gives participants access to one-stop shopping, allowing them to register for both the games and their accommodations with a simple click of the mouse" said Jeff Clark, Co-Chair, World Police and Fire Games. "This will create a hassle-free experience for all participants and visitors, while at the same time showcasing our world-class infrastructure and ability to successfully host world class sporting events in the lead up to the 2010 Winter Olympics".

September 20, 2005 – Puerto Rico Convention Bureau contracts with Advance Group
The Puerto Rico Convention Bureau (PRCB) announced today that it has partnered with Advance Group to assist meeting planners with the latest technology in housing management, as one of the many services provided by the organization dedicated to meetings, conventions, tradeshows and group incentive travel to Puerto Rico.

"Providing housing services has become an industry standard among top meetings destinations throughout the U.S. and the globe," stated Ana María Viscasillas, president and CEO, Puerto Rico Convention Bureau. "As we continue to evolve as the preferred meeting destination of the Americas and welcome more groups in both terms of size and quantity, it’s become a critical next step to offer our partners the expertise of a top-rated industry leader in housing services that can seamlessly coordinate the various aspects of housing and conference management to meeting groups in Puerto Rico."

"We are delighted to have been selected as the official housing service provider for the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau", said Rose Ironside, managing director, Advance Group. "Our knowledge and experience working with Passkey and groups of various sizes means that the PRCB is truly putting its best foot forward when the system comes online in early 2006. It’s an exciting time for the meetings industry in Puerto Rico, and we look forward to supporting the Bureau and being part of that growth."

In forging a relationship with Advance Group, the Bureau will gain an experienced team of dedicated professionals who can assist delegates and conference organizers in both Spanish and English with local and international groups meeting in Puerto Rico. Advance Group works with Passkey, the leading online group reservations management solution utilized by 85% of the top convention cities in North America. This state-of-the-art system automates the group housing process, giving delegates secure 24/7 real-time access to online reservation services and automated confirmations, while providing reports for convention organizers about the status of contracted hotel room blocks. While the Bureau has offered similar services in the past, the increasing popularity of Puerto Rico as a meeting and convention destination and the opening of the Puerto Rico Convention Center (late 2005) meant that a more sophisticated system was required.

"As the Puerto Rico Convention Center comes online there will be more and more pressure on Puerto Rico’s hoteliers for group room blocks as well as other conference management services," Viscasillas continued. "Whether it’s a convention at a resort that brings a few hundred delegates, or a group such as the renowned U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce which will bring several thousand delegates to the Puerto Rico Convention Center in 2007, we want to provide our hotel partners and convention organizers the very best in available technology and service standards to make meetings in Puerto Rico easy to coordinate."